Money News
Recent, sourced personal-finance news, updated regularly — with a link back to how each story affects your own numbers.
Fed Holds Rates Steady Under New Chair as Hike Odds Rise
The Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark rate unchanged through four meetings in 2026, and market pricing now favors a hike over a cut at the next opportunity.
Inflation Climbs to 4.2% as Personal Savings Rate Slides
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May Consumer Price Index showed inflation at 4.2% year over year — its highest level in three years — while wage growth has lagged behind, squeezing household savings rates.
Buy Now, Pay Later Use Climbs Among Financially Stretched Households
A Gallup poll published in May found that just over half of Americans have used Buy Now, Pay Later installment plans, with frequent use concentrated among households already showing signs of financial strain.
Student Loan Defaults Climb Again as Pandemic-Era Protections End
Federal Reserve data shows millions of additional student loan borrowers moved into default status in early 2026, as the last pandemic-era forbearance protections have fully lapsed.
Interest in the FIRE Movement Jumps to 37% of Americans
New sentiment data shows a sharp year-over-year increase in Americans expressing interest in the FIRE movement, even as researchers flag psychological challenges tied to early retirement.
High-Yield Savings Accounts Are No Longer Beating Inflation
Even the most competitive high-yield savings accounts, paying close to 4% annually, are now falling just short of the latest 4.2% inflation reading, according to national rate-tracking data.
Household Debt Hits $18.8 Trillion Even as Credit Card Balances Dip
The latest quarterly household debt report shows total U.S. household debt climbing to $18.8 trillion, even as credit card balances posted a modest seasonal decline.
'Retire Sooner' Method Emerges as a More Flexible Alternative to FIRE
A newly popularized framework positions itself as a more moderate, research-based alternative to the FIRE movement, aiming for meaningfully earlier retirement without the extreme savings rates FIRE typically requires.
Gen Z Now Targets Retirement at Age 54, Earliest of Any Generation
Retirement research shows Gen Z now expects to retire earlier than any generation surveyed, with an average target age of 54 compared with 63 for the general population.
Treasury I Bond Rate Rises to 4.26% as Investors Seek Inflation Protection
Series I savings bonds purchased between May 1 and October 31 now carry a composite rate of 4.26%, up from 4.03% in the prior six-month period, as investors look for ways to keep cash ahead of inflation.